Emmerdale to air all-female episode

'Emmerdale' will mark International Women's Day with an episode written, directed and produced by women and featuring only female members of the cast.

'Emmerdale' will mark International Women's Day with an all-female episode.

Emmerdale's Dominic Brunt

The ITV soap are "really excited" about the plans for a one-off special on 8 March, and not only will the episode only feature the women in the cast, it will be made by an "almost entirely female crew".

Show boss Jane Hudson said: "We're doing something rather special on 8th March, International Women's Day.

"Now we've got two female producers and a female executive producer - it is the first time a soap has had an all female team.

"Now don't get me wrong, I love men, I'm a big fan of men, I'm frantically on Tinder and Bumble all the time so if anyone's got any dating tips, let me know!

"But we are going to have an episode that is produced by a female, directed by a female and written by a female. The entire cast will be female including all the background artists and we will have almost an entire female crew.

"We're really excited to be doing it and recognising International Women's Day and do our bit for it."

Before the special episode airs, the programme's new executive producer has also teased what's in store for viewers over the coming months.

The festive season will see a unique wedding take place, but Jane refused to say who will be tying the knot.

She said: "We have got a wedding at Christmas. I'm not going to tell you who but let's just say it will bring a different flavour to the village than you've had before."

And favourites Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt) and Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock) will be heading off an "adventure."

She said: "We will be sending Paddy and Marlon off on a little adventure, next year around February time. One of them will make quite a big discovery."

There's also drama in store for the Dingle family.

Jane teased: "We have got huge rifts coming up in the Dingle clan that will blow apart two of our most-loved characters, and who knows if they will ever get back to where they used to be?"